Crate



v(No Model.)

JfMONTGOMERY. FOLDING CRATE.

No. 532,684. Patented Jan. 15, 1895.

I v a' W tnesses: I r I IT'LLf-E 111ml":

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MONTGOMERY, OF MARSEILLES,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL H. MONTGOMERY, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersIatent No. 532,684, dated January 15, 1895. Application filed Novemher14,1894. Serial No. 528,745. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MONTGOMERY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Marseilles, in the county ofLa Salle and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Grates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference thereon, forming a part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the crate I as it would appear ready for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crate as it would appear folded. .Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the upper corners of the crate, showing a button for holding the cover in place when the crate is ready for use as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a plan detail view showing a portion of the cover and of the side and end of the crate, and aspring attached to the end for preventing the side from falling down. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of one of the lower corners of the crate showing a corner block bolted to the bottom, and showing a slidable bolt on the upper end of said block for holding the cover in place when the crate is folded as shown in Fig 2.

This invention relates to certain improve- "ments in folding crates used for shipping purposes, which improvements are fully set forth and explained in the following specification and claim.

Referring to the drawings A represents the bottom of'the crate made of boards resting on cross sills and nailed thereto. To each corner of said bottom is secured a short corner block B by means of a bolt 0. The ends G and sides H are pivotally connected to said corner blocks as shown in the broken lines in Fig. 6, in such manner that the ends and sides may fold down on the bottom A as shown in Fig. 5, the sides folding over the ends.

S is a fiat spring attached to the inner upper sides of the ends as shown in Fig. 4., and in broken lines in Fig. 3, so arranged that their free ends will engage the inner upper sides of the sides H to prevent the sides from falling down when the crate is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

D is a cover made of slats and having its sides and ends flanged so as to set down over and inclose the sides H and ends G of the crate at their upper sides so they cannot spread apart by reason of pressure of material within the crate. When said cover is in position as shown in Fig. 1, it is held down to its place by means of buttons F attached to the top corners of the ends G as shown particularly in Fig. 3.

When the crate is folded by means of turning down the sides and ends as shown in Figs.

'2 and 5, the coverD is placed so as to reston the folded sides H, and so its flanged sides and ends will inclose the folded crate, and is secured to its place by means of the slidable bolts 0 on the upper ends of the corner blocks B as shown more particularly in Figs.

5 and'6.

F is a hinged slat which forms a door in the cover for access to the interior of the crate. By means of such construction the crate is adapted to be folded and maintained'in such folded position to enable it to be shipped back to the point of its departure in a much smaller and more compact shape than if it could not be folded.

I amaware that crates made to fold have been heretofore used, but I am not aware of such construction of crate, wherein the ends and sides are pivotally connected to corner Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The combination of the bottom .A having the corner blocks B bolted thereto, the corner blocks B having the slidable bolts 0 on their upper ends, the sides H and endsG pivotally connected to said corner blocks in such manner that said ends and sides may fold down on said bottom, the buttons E on the upper corners of said ends and the cover D having its sides and ends flanged for inclosing the sides and ends of the crate, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES MONTGOMERY.

Witnesses:

THOS. I-I. HUTCHINS, S. H. MONTGOMERY. 

